How To Open Up
by Ferbi56
Summary: Gauken Hetalia Human AU. Kiku isn't the best English speaker at W Academy, but what happens when a certain Brit steps up to help and sparks start to fly? Rate T because Romano shows up.
1. English Lessons

Kiku sat quietly in class, taking notes periodically. He focused on what the teachers said and took the notes he knew would be necessary to pass any tests or exams. Once the bell had rung, announcing the end of the class periods for the day, everyone quickly hurried up and shoved their stuff into their bags before dashing out the door. Kiku always waited back till everyone was gone. Not only so he wouldn't get trampled, but also so he could have five seconds of peace before having to interact with anyone.

Kiku wasn't the best at English speaking at W Academy, and although most people knew it, that didn't stop them from trying to become his friend. Kiku manuvered his way through the hallways of the school, dodging oncoming students skillfully as he headed towards the door of the study all to head back to his dorm. He had nearly made it to the door when something, or someone caught his arm. He stopped mid-stride to turn and look at who had stopped him.

A boy that looked just younger than Kiku, having blonde hair and bright green eyes, and rather large eyebrows had grabbed onto Kiku's arm to stop him.

"Oh um. Is there something you need?" Kiku asked curiously, wondering why he had been stopped and which one of his classes he had recognized the other male from.

"Oh, sorry. My name is Arthur Kirkland. We have the same science class together." Arthur introduced himself, trying to get to the point.

"I see. Is there something you needed?" Kiku asked, noticing how strong the others accent was.

"No its just, I noticed you were having a bit of trouble with your English so I was wondering if I could help you out in anyway." Arthur explained.

Kiku stood there in a shocked state for a moment. He knew his English wasn't the best, but no one other than his roommate had offered to help him before.

"Yes, I think that would be nice." Kiku finally answered after what seemed like ages but only had to be a minute or two.

"Great!" Arthur smiled. "We can meet up after our classes tomorrow! Be seeing you!" The smile remained on his face as he dashed off in the same direction he had come from.

Kiku sighed, a small smile forming on his face before he continued on his way to his dorm room. When he arrived, Feliciano was already there, sitting on his bed and drawing in his notebook. Feliciano was a bit younger than Kiku. He had bright red hair with an usually long curl on the left side that never seemed to stay down and auburn eyes to match. Some might say that he was a bit scatter-brained, but he could really focus if he tried.

Feliciano looked up with his usual smile and waved at Kiku as the latter closed the door behind him.

"How were the rest of your classes?" Feliciano asked, tilting his head.

"They went well, just like every other day it seems." Kiku replied, setting his bag beside his desk and laying down on his bed.

"Aw don't be like that!" Feliciano exclaimed, setting his book aside. "There's all kinds of exciting things to do every single day!"

Kiku couldn't help but smile at the other's enthusiasm. Feliciano always did manage to see the world in a brighter perspective way than everyone else.

"Anyway," Feliciano started, "Me and a couple of other people are going to go out to see a movie tomorrow. It would be really cool if you joined us!" Feliciano said excitedly, hoping Kiku would agree to go for once.

"I'm sorry Feli, I actually have plans tomorrow." Kiku replied, the small grin from earlier returning once more.

Feliciano gasped in excitement, he, like so many other students, had been trying to help Kiku get out of his secluded shell since forever. It made Feliciano happy that his friend had finally found something that might interest him and help him to open up.

"Really!? What are you doing? Please tell me!" Feliciano nearly begged.

Kiku simply chuckled, sitting up on his bed. "One of the boys from my science class has offered to help me with my English after our classes tomorrow. I wasn't going to agree at first, but at least trying to learn how to say things properly is better than not even trying."

"You have a point there!" Feliciano smiled. "Well," He added, standing up, "I'm going to go say hello to Lovino before we head over to the common area. You can join us if you want." He smiled, heading for the door.

Kiku thought it over for a moment. He had met Lovino before, but got the vibe that Lovino really didn't like him. Granted, Feliciano said that he never seemed to like anyone, but that was just his personality. Lovino had dark brown hair with an extended curl to match Feliciano's, but on the opposite side.

After another moment of thought Kiku finally answered. "You go on ahead, I'll catch up."


	2. Sitting Alone

Kiku followed Feliciano out of their room minutes later. Feliciano led the way through the halls, weaving in and out of the students crowding the way. The duo was on their way to meet up with Feliciano's brother Lovino to relax for a while now that classes were finished for the day. Feliciano skipped several feet ahead of Kiku, swinging his arms as he went. Kiku strayed behind, hands stuffed into his pockets and his head down, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible, though with Feliciano around, the task was quite difficult.

"Where is Lovino waiting for us anyway?" Kiku asked, raising his head to look at Feliciano.

"He's just outside! We'll meet up with him then we can go to the common area for a while till dinner begins!" Feliciano almost shouted, raising his arms in the air.

"Uh," Kiku sighed softly, "Please, there is no need to shout."

Feliciano giggled softly, "Sorry." He apologized, turning to face the nearby doorway once more. He took off in a half sprint towards the door.

Kiku sighed softly and followed him out. Upon reaching the outside, Kiku blinked a few times to help his eyes adjust to the change in light. After becoming comfortable with the amount of light, Kiku started looking for the Italian brother duo.

"Kiku! Over here!" Feliciano shouted from a bit away, waving his hands so Kiku would spot him.

"Shut the fuck up Feli! The whole school doesn't need to know you're here! Besides, he can see you can't he?" Lovino asked, crossing his arms as Kiku approached them.

"Aww! Don't be like that big bro! I was just trying to help!" Feliciano smiled.

"I apologize for making you wait." Kiku apologized, "Shall we go?"

The brothers nodded and they all headed to a separate building nearby where the common area was located. The building in question had a lounge area, multiple coffee shops, a small arcade and telivision area. The dining area of the school was located on the second floor of the same building so most students would come here to relax when they weren't working on homework.

The trio walked over to the seating area, seeing as how it was the emptiest place in the commons at the moment and took a seat. The brothers started chatting about their day and what they planned to do the following after class. Kiku let his mind wander, he kept thinking about Arthur and how odd it was that Arthur barely knew him, but still wanted to give him a hand. Arthur was just being nice he supposed. He couldn't help but wonder though. Many students had tried to help him learn and open up in the past but they were all unsuccessful, even Feliciano had tried and failed. So why had Kiku agreed to let Arthur try and help him when failure was the most likely outcome?

"Oy! Earth to Kiku!" Lovino shouted, snapping Kiku out of his daze. "Dinner is starting, are you coming or not?"

Kiku looked up, Feliciano and Lovino were both standing around him while others headed for the doors leading to the stairs to the second floor. Kiku blinked twice, his eyes still fixed on the brother duo before his mind finally realized what was going on around him, allowing him to answer.

"You go on ahead." Kiku replied.

"Aw." Feliciano frowned, "Are you sure you don't want to eat with us? You always sit by yourself!" Feliciano exclaimed.

It was true though. No matter who asked him or what his relationship status with that person was, he always sat by himself while eating. The only exception was when he would make it to the dining area before Feliciano and Feli simply planted himself at Kiku's table upon arriving.

"I'll be fine. You go on and eat." Kiku replied, standing up.

"Oh alright, but if you want to join us you certainly can!" Feliciano said as the brothers turned and started heading for the doorway.

Kiku took a deep breath and sighed, waiting for the brothers to disappear behind the door before starting his own walk over. After reaching the door and climbing the set of stairs, Kiku waited in line for his dinner before finding the lone table in a corner of the room where he always sat and set his tray down. He simply stared at his food for a while before he heard a familiar voice call his name.

He looked up to see Arthur wave goodbye to his friends before walking over to Kiku's table with his tray and pointing at one of the chairs.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked, the same grin from before on his face.

Kiku simply shook his head as Arthur sat down and started eating. Kiku sat in slight shock for a minute, staring at Arthur.

Arthur noticed the stare and frowned. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" He asked quickly, wondering what happened.

"No, no!" Kiku answered quickly. "It's just, no one tends to sit with me except for Feliciano. I always sit by myself." He shrugged.

"Oh that!" Arthur's smile returned, "I noticed. So I thought maybe you could use a little company. Might cheer you up a bit!"

"That is very kind of you, but you do not have to sit with me if you do not want to." Kiku said, looking down to his food.

"I want to though." Arthur replied quickly, looking at Kiku with a very serious face. "No one should have to sit by them self all the time!"

Kiku blinked again before he began eating. "Fair enough I suppose."

Arthur just chuckled.


	3. Deep in Thought Again?

Arthur and Kiku sat for a while talking about what classes they had and what hobbies they liked to do for fun. Kiku discovered that they both shared a love for reading and an intense love for tea. They continued talking even after they finished eating, Kiku didn't think it was possible to have such an interesting conversation about yourself with someone else. Eventually Feliciano came over and commented on how they were the only ones left in the entire dining hall and that they should probably leave before someone became suspicious.

Arthur and Kiku nodded and the trio headed out of the dining area and back down stairs. Kiku and Feliciano said goodbye to Arthur upon reaching their dorm room and headed inside.

"You two sure seem to know each other really well!" Feliciano smiled, collapsing face first onto his bed. "You were talking for a long time."

Kiku smiled slightly, sitting down at his desk. "I never thought I could learn so much about someone in such a short amount of time just by talking to them. It's strange." He replied, pulling out a few pieces paper from his school bag.

"You're starting homework at this hour?" Feliciano asked, sitting up and tilting his head slightly to the side like he always seemed to do when he was curious.

"Better to get started early and get the work done than to wait and turn it in late." Kiku replied, starting to fill out the worksheet.

Feliciano shrugged and grabbed a towel from nearby. "I'm taking a shower if you need me." He smiled, heading into the bathroom connected to their room.

Kiku nodded as he heard the door close behind him. He worked for perhaps twenty minutes before deciding to stop, Feliciano singing loudly the entire time. Kiku put his work away and looked up at the bathroom door, a small smile on his face. Feliciano often sang in the shower, much to Kiku's dismay. But there were a few times Kiku enjoyed Feliciano's loud singing, this happened to be one of those times.

Kiku slid his bag under his desk and laid down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling of their dorm room. He tried to think of what he had to do tomorrow, but he always seemed to start thinking about Arthur at one point or another. He always set his mind back on track when he noticed this, but then he began wondering why it happened. Was it because he found out they had so much in common? Was it because Arthur was the only one besides Feliciano actually willing to sit with him during a meal? Kiku wasn't quite sure. He was pulled out of his thoughts abruptly however when he heard the bathroom door open and Feliciano walked out, finishing his most recent song while drying his hair.

Kiku sat up, watching Feliciano finish with his hair and hang his towel up nearby. Feliciano smiled, sensing the stare.

"Deep in thought again?" Feliciano smiled, his head tilting as if on cue.

"You could say that." Kiku replied, looking to the floor. He at least looked deep in thought.

Feliciano sat at the end of the bed beside Kiku. "What's going on in that big head of yours now?" He asked, trying to stifle his giggles.

Kiku smirked slightly and gave Feliciano a playful shove. "You're being awfully nosey today Feli."

"I try!" He shrugged, a laugh escaping his lips. "But you've also been more distant than normal today so my nosiness is justified!"

"And how do you see that? Nosiness is nosiness no matter how distant I've been." Kiku replied, standing up and going to grab his towel.

"I'm a naturally curious person! The whole school knows that." Feliciano giggled again. "And you know that better than anyone considering you have to hang out with me the most!"

Kiku stifled a laugh, he was right there. Feliciano was curious about everything. He was always asking questions to try and get to know someone better or to understand a subject better. Lovino had often complained about it whenever Kiku was around, but it seemed that Lovino complained about almost everything if he could.

Kiku smirked as he walked into the bathroom and started the bath. Feliciano and his brother were like polar opposites. Feliciano was the happy-go-lucky one. Always smiling and asking questions and trying to get people to laugh. He would go out of his way to make someone smile, even if it was inconvient for him, and in most cases Kiku since the duo often hung out. Kiku grimaced at the fact as he climbed into the tub. He knew Feliciano always meant well in some aspect, but Feliciano also did not often think of himself when he went around helping people.

Lovino on the other hand was the exact opposite. He always seemed to think about himself and not really anyone else. Kiku knew that wasn't true. He knew Lovino cared about his brother and whatever friends he may have, he just never showed it to anyone. He was always yelling at Feliciano for being to loud and obnoxious or for another reason that pertained to the moment, but Kiku knew Lovino would be the first to punch someone out if he knew they had hurt Feliciano.

Kiku wondered if Arthur had anyone like that. Someone willing to risk getting suspended for protecting him in a fight or someone willing to go out of their way to mak him happy. He was sure Feliciano had probably done that at least twice, as he had helped nearly everyone on the entire campus multiple times by this point, in some way or another. Kiku smiled to himself as he sank further down into the tub. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting.


	4. Small World Then

Kiku's eyes twitched as the alarm on the nightstand beside his bed sounded loudly that it was time to get up and get ready for the day. Kiku took a deep breath and pulled himself out of bed. Upon successfully getting out of bed, Kiku grabbed his clothes for the day and headed to the wash room door as Feliciano started his slow process of getting himself out of bed.

Kiku got a quick shower and changed before exiting the room, giving up on trying to fix his hair. Feliciano dashed in as soon as Kiku was out of the way, suddenly full of energy as compared to ten minutes ago. Kiku chuckled and walked over to his desk, pulling his bag out and making sure he had everything inside that he would need. Five minutes later Feliciano dashed out, now fully dressed in the uniforms they had to wear. He quickly checked his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready to go?" Feliciano asked excitedly.

Kiku nodded and they both left the room, Kiku locking the door behind him. They walked out of the dorm building and to the dining hall, heading straight for the staircase as soon as they got there. They each grabbed their desired breakfasts and sat at Kiku's table, talking about things they were going to do that day or what they were supposed to do in their classes. They talked for five minutes it seemed until Arthur showed up, his usual smile on.

"Hey lads, is this seat taken?" Arthur asked curiously.

The duo shook their heads and he sat down.

Feliciano smiled, "I know you! You're Arthur! We have math and Latin class together!"

Arthur blinked twice before the recognition kicked in. "Oh that's right! You're Feliciano!" He smiled, holding his hand out. "It's nice to finally meet you formally."

Feliciano quickly shook Arthur's hand and started eating quickly, much to Kiku's dismay.

"Small world then I suppose." Arthur replied, starting on his own breakfast.

Kiku nodded, starting to eat as well. The trio talked for a while about their classes and plans. Once they finished their breakfast, they cleaned up their table and Feliciano dashed off to his first class. Kiku and Arthur stayed back to plan where they would meet for the Egnlish lessons before waving goodbye and heading for their own set of classes.

Kiku walked into the classroom for his first class and pulled out the supplies he would need to take notes and learn as much as possible.

* * *

The bell rang loudly, announcing the end of the class period for the day. Kiku carefully gathered up his supplies and hung back for a moment before getting up and exiting the classroom. He left the study building and headed in the direction of the dorms, meeting Feliciano along the way. They stopped in their dorm momentarily to drop of their stuff. Feliciano traded his bag for a change of clothes and some money before telling Kiku he would be back before it got too late. Kiku nodded and left their room, heading for Arthur's room.

Kiku wandered the halls until he found the correct number of Arthur's room. He knocked on the door quietly. The door quickly swung open, revealing a boy, just taller than Arthur would have been, with blonde hair sticking out in every direction and half-moon glasses. He had a rather large sandwich in his hand as he stared down a Kiku. The taller boy blinked quickly before smiling.

"Hey there!" The boy shouted, "You must be Kiku! My name is Alfred, come on in!" He smiled, stepping out of the way so Kiku could walk in.

Kiku waited a moment before walking in, hearing a familiar voice as he did.

"You wanker! You don't have to shout all the damn time!" Arthur shouted in reply to Alfred's screaming.

"Don't be like that Artie!" Alfred smiled, collapsing on his bed and finishing his sandwich.

"My name is Arthur you twat!" Arthur took a deep breath and smiled at Kiku. "Welcome to the disaster zone."

Kiku smiled softly, "If it's too loud, we can go to my dorm. Feliciano is going out with friends so he should not be there for a while." Kiku offered, hoping it would help himself focus and help Arthur relax.

"Now that you think about it, that sounds like a really good idea. Let me grab my bag." Arthur agreed, grabbing his stuff and following Kiku out.

The duo walked back through the halls of the dorm building, soon arriving at Kiku's room. Kiku unlocked the door and they both walked in.

"Wow!" Arthur exclaimed, "I never thought I would be able to see one of the dorm rooms so clean!"

Kiku chuckled. "Feliciano tries his best to keep his side tidy. Sometimes that doesn't happen but he really does try his best."

Arthur smiled, "Well then how about we get started on those lessons, hm?"

Kiku nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Gladly."

The duo sat for an hour working on helping Kiku pronounce things easier. After the hour they decided to try and tackle some of the homework they had, helping each other out if the could. Feliciano returned while they were studying and joined them in the work, hoping to get some of his own work done, even though he kept getting distracted.

Once they decided to stop, they stopped by Arthur's dorm before heading towards the common area. They talked about what they hoped was on the menu for supper that day and what they planned to do over the upcoming weekend. The trio met up with Lovino and decided to play a few arcade games while they waited for dinner to start. They were in the middle of an air hockey match between Lovino and Arthur when the bell to eat sounded. Lovino quickly finished the match, beating Arthur by a landslide and they all headed for the stairwell.


	5. Useless Worry

The four of them sat together during dinner, laughing and carrying on, attracting a bit of attention as everyone knew that table to be a place of near or absolute quiet. The four of them didn't care however, they were having fun and that was all that mattered to them. After the group finished eating they disposed of their garbage and headed to Arthur's dorm. Upon arriving they found that Alfred was nowhere to be found. They talked and joked for a while before Lovino was nearly asleep and Feliciano had to carry him back to his dorm.

Kiku stayed back a few minutes so he and Arthur could plan the next English lesson. Once they had, he said his goodbyes and headed back to his own room. The whole walk there Kiku couldn't help but think about how happy Arthur made him feel. He had never had so much fun during a meal. Sure, Feliciano had made him laugh so hard his sides split, but that was only on one occasion. Tonight really made him happy. He was sure he hadn't smiled that much in such a long time. It felt nice.

Kiku carefully turned the doorknob to his room and saw Feliciano coming out of the washroom, fully clad in his sleepwear. Kiku closed and locked the door and grabbed his own sleepwear and headed for the washroom. After changing he climbed into bed, seeing that Feliciano was already fast asleep. Kiku smiled to himself slightly, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning the duo woke up once again to the sound of Kiku's alarm and prepared for the day in nearly the same way as before. After they were both properly dressed and had their bags they headed to the common area to relax a bit. Once the bell had rung, they headed upstairs. Feliciano was about to sit beside Kiku when some friends called him over. After making sure that Kiku would be alright he waved goodbye and headed over.

Kiku sat down at his table. It felt so weird having no one to sit with. He had gotten so used to sitting with someone else and having someone to talk to that he wondered how he had been able to sit by himself like this for so long. He looked around slowly for Arthur but the British boy was nowhere to be found. Kiku prayed he was okay as he started on his breakfast.

Kiku couldn't help but think of Arthur. His mind wandered away as he ate. He hadn't even realized he started thinking about Arthur. He thought about the English lesson they had had the day before and how fun it was to eat supper with Arthur and the Italian brother duo. A small smile rose to his face as he finished his breakfast. He cleaned off the table and decided to head for his first classroom for the morning.

Arthur had walked into the dining area a few minutes after Kiku had left. He looked around constantly but couldn't find Kiku anywhere. He sighed and went to sit with his friends nearby, but he couldn't help but worry about Kiku. Was he okay? Did he already have breakfast? Was he sick? Arthur wasn't quite sure, but it only made him worry more and more the longer he thought about it.

Arthur had to pull himself out of his thoughts. Why had he been worrying about Kiku so much? It wasn't like Kiku couldn't take care of himself. But it was so much fun getting to know Kiku and hang out with him. He had always seen Kiku sitting by himself and barely talking to anyone, whether it was because he didn't know what to say or he just didn't feel like talking, Arthur was never sure. It hurt him to always see Kiku so sad or stoic. Even around one of the happiest people in the entire school. Arthur wondered if Feliciano had even actually seen Kiku laugh or even smile before yesterday. In truth, Arthur highly doubted it.

The British boy finished his breakfast and cleaned up before heading for his first class. He would have to ask Kiku where he was when they met up for their English lesson that afternoon.

The classes that day only seemed to drag on for the both of them. Kiku was sure he would have pulled out his hair if it got any more boring. However the final bell did ring and both Arthur and Kiku darted from their classes, Arthur heading for Kiku's dorm room and Kiku heading for Arthur's. Kiku was the first to enter the dorm building, Arthur following not that far behind stuck in the crowd. Kiku arrived at Arthur's door and knocked when he got no reply he simply knocked again.

The same process had gone on for Arthur just down the hall. After several minutes however, they both sighed in defeat and headed for their rooms with their heads down, weaving through the crowds. However neither looked up in time as they ran head first straight into each other.

"Good gosh! Bloody wanker! Watch where you're going-!" Arthur froze mid-sentence as he looked up and saw who he had run into. "Kiku! My goodness I'm so sorry, are you alright?!" He asked worriedly, no longer worrying about the pain in his own head.

Kiku couldn't help the small smile that rose to his lips. "I'm fine. Thank you. Are you alright?"

"I'm just fine!" Arthur smiled, his usual grin plastered on his face. "Where were you at breakfast, lad? I must have missed you."

"I could ask you the same thing," Kiku smirked. "Enough about that though. What do you say we head back to your dorm and start on that English lesson, hm?"

Arthur smirked in reply. "I couldn't agree more."


	6. Count On It

The duo had just finished their lesson when Alfred walked in through the door. Arthur excused himself to the washroom and Alfred decided to properly introduce himself.

"We haven't been properly introduced as Arthur calls it, I'm Alfred! Alfred F. Jones! Pleasure to meet you!" The younger boy smiled, sticking his hand out for Kiku to shake.

Kiku smiled and shook his hand. "Pleasure. My name is Kiku Honda. Feliciano is my roommate."

"Whoa! Really!? That must be awesome! Do you know Ludwig? I always see Feliciano and Ludwig hanging out!" Alfred exclaimed.

Kiku recoiled slightly, "I know of him and that he and Feliciano are good friends but I have never personally met him."

"Awww bummer! That's okay though! I hear he's really strict!" Alfred shrugged, laying back on his bed and reaching for his phone.

Kiku shrugged as Arthur returned from the washroom, giving a wave to Alfred.

"Is there anything else you wanted to work on?" Arthur asked, sitting back down beside Kiku.

"Nothing in particular comes to mind. Thank you again for the lesson." Kiku smiled softly.

"Not a problem at all!" Arthur grinned, "It's cool getting to hang out with you! Plus, I can see why Feliciano likes helping people so much. It's like an addiction!"

Kiku couldn't help but giggle. Feliciano was definitely starting to rub off on him. Arthur grabbed his supplies and put them in their place on his desk. Once he finished, he spoke again.

"Where were you at breakfast though? I got worried you were sick or something. I didn't see Feliciano there either." Arthur asked.

"Oh. Feliciano and I always try to eat breakfast early. His first class is always on the other side of the study building and it takes him a while to get there so I wake up early with him and motivate him so he won't take five years to get to his first class." Kiku replied, "Where were you?"

Arthur couldn't help but laugh at first, he had completely missed Kiku and Feliciano then. "I didn't know you would be there so early. I must have just missed you! My first class today didn't start until a little later so I thought I could spend a little more time getting ready and still meet you for breakfast!" He laughed.

They chatted like that for a few minutes until they heard a knock on the door. Arthur got up and answered it, only to find Feliciano and Lovino on the other side of the door.

"Hi there Arthur! Is there any chance that Kiku is here?" Feliciano asked happily as Lovino rolled his eyes.

Arthur blinked quickly, "Hi, Feliciano and Lovino. Yes, Kiku is here." Arthur turned his head and motioned that Kiku come over.

"Oh no! I just wanted to know if you, Kiku, and Alfred too if he wants to, would want to come to a movie with Lovino and myself!" Feliciano smiled happily.

Arthur blinked a moment. "Sure! Sounds fun! I'm sure Alfred will want to go as well."

Kiku nodded in agreement.

They decided to all meet up at supper and then head to the movie afterward, each of them heading back to their respective dorms to change into more comfortable clothing and relax until they needed to leave.

Half an hour passed and Kiku had finished a large amount of his homework. Feliciano had tried and asked Kiku for help several times, whether it was because he continued to get distracted or because he simply couldn't understand something, Kiku never found out. They both put their work away and headed out of their dorm towards the common area.

Lovino was already waiting for them with Antonio, stating that Antonio was coming with them to the movies. Antonio was Lovino's roommate. He had brown hair about the same length as the Italian brothers that stuck out in nearly every direction and green eyes that reminded Kiku of grass for some reason. Antonio and Kiku introduced themselves as Arthur and Alfred walked up to the group. Ludwig joining them shortly after. Ludwig was the tallest one of the group. His hair tightly slicked back and ice cold blue eyes, he looked very intimidating to be quite honest.

They all said their hello's right as the bell rang. Not choosing to waste any time, they all headed upstairs. After they had gotten the meals they wanted they sat at Kiku's table. Kiku couldn't help but laugh, this was just as fun as the other night had been. He was here with his friends and Arthur was right beside him. This was perfect. Kiku was sure he couldn't think of anything better.

Once they had all finished eating and carrying on they walked to the movie theater together. Upon arriving they decided on a movie and snacks and headed inside the theater to wait for the movie to start. The Italian brothers sat together, Antonio on Lovino's opposite side against the wall. Kiku sat beside Feliciano and Arthur beside him. This left the end seats for Ludwig and Alfred.

Kiku had been so wrapped up in the movie, that he hadn't noticed he had taken a hold of Arthur's hand. Arthur didn't seem to notice either. Feliciano did though, and he smiled to himself. He thought it was the sweetest thing, but he didn't dare ruin the moment so he kept his mouth shut about the topic.

Once the movie was over everyone grabbed their garbage and disposed of it properly. They discussed the movie the entire walk home, telling their favorite and least favorite parts, as well as asking Feliciano if he had actually seen Lovino crying at one part. Anyone who asked earned themselves a smack from the older Italian. A smack that, Lovino would have argued, was justified.

They all walked into the dorm building ahead of Arthur and Kiku. The duo waited just outside the door and planned their next English lesson for Monday.

"I had fun tonight." Arthur smiled.

Kiku swore later that he had seen Arthur blush just then. "I had fun with you too. Thank you for inviting me." He would curse if he knew his own cheeks were heating up.

"Not a problem! I'll see you and Feliciano for breakfast later tomorrow?" Arthur asked.

Kiku smiled, "Count on it."


	7. Garden Stroll

The next morning, Feliciano, Lovino, Kiku, Antonio, Alfred, and Arthur all met up at their table for breakfast. They laughed and carried on as normal. Antonio was the first to finish and leave, saying he was super behind on homework and his weekend was dedicated to his desk and work. Alfred was the next to finish, Feliciano soon after. They both dashed off with a wave saying they were going to meet up with Ludwig.

"And then there were three." Arthur chuckled.

"Not for long, I'm going after them." Lovino replied as he nearly swallowed the rest of his muffin whole and abruptly left the table.

"Okay so then there were two. Almost the same." Arthur smirked, leaning back in his chair.

Kiku couldn't help the giggle that escaped his lips. "Do you have anything to do today? Since you're the only one who has finished and not dashed off."

Arthur shrugged. "Nope. My homework is pretty much finished. And I didn't make plans with anyone this weekend. Did you have something in mind?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I hear the flowers in the garden are still in bloom." He shrugged. "We could go look at them." Kiku cursed to himself, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Arthur's face lit up in a smile. "That sounds like a great idea! I haven't been out to the garden in ages! Plus, it will be nice to get out and have some fresh air for once instead of being in those stuffy classrooms."

"No kidding." Kiku smiled, finishing the rest of his tea. "What are we waiting for?" He asked, standing up and grabbing his tray.

Arthur followed his lead as they cleaned up their table and left the dining area. They talked about different things they knew about the garden on their way there.

"I believe there are plants from all over the world in their because they have students from all over the world. They wanted their garden to be as diverse as their student body." Kiku stated.

"Really? Wouldn't some of the plants wipe out others?" Arthur asked.

"Not if you know how to handle them. They do extensive research on the plants before they even bring them in. It's months before the plants even make it into the garden." Kiku replied, proud of his knowledge.

Arthur smiled. "That's impressive. Dedicated to the plants. The gardeners I mean."

They walked around the garden together, pointing out the different flowers and trees that they recognized. Arthur smiled at how excited Kiku was getting about showing off his knowledge. He was happy that Kiku trusted him enough to show him the side that no one really saw. The side hidden behind closed doors. Kiku smiled and pointed out the different flowers and which countries they came from.

And Arthur couldn't be happier. He was getting to spend time with Kiku and that was all that mattered. Arthur wondered if Kiku was usually like this when he was alone or was he still the quiet boy he had met only days prior? Arthur wasn't sure, but he knew one thing for sure, he wanted Kiku to keep smiling and laughing like he had been all week.

"Arthur!" Kiku finally shouted, trying to get the other males attention.

He hadn't realized it, but Arthur had been staring off into space for some time. That is, until Kiku shouted and pulled him out of his trance. His face quickly flushed with embarrassment as he buried his face in his hands.

"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry. I-I don't know what came over me I was-!" Arthur apologized until Kiku took a hold of his hand, shutting him up immediately.

Kiku smiled, "It's alright. Calm down. You just zoned out is all. It happens to Feliciano all the time. He gets distracted quite easily sometimes and often zones out."

Arthur looked at the other boy, his face still flushed bright red. "Alright. I'm sorry though, I missed your facts on the flowers."

Kiku let out a small laugh. "That's quite alright. Most people find the facts boring anyway. Shall we keep going?"

Arthur nodded and they continued their stroll through the foliage. Eventually, they both decided to take a small break from walking and sat on one of the benches. They sat in blissful silence for, what felt like an eternity, was only a few minutes. Arthur was the first to stand and break the silence, however.

"Come on, we're most of the way through now! Let's keep moving!" The blonde smiled.

Kiku sighed silently to himself before standing up and nodding. They continued their walk and came out of the garden a few minutes later. After they talked a moment they decided to go to Kiku's room and relax. Arthur dashed to his room and brought a book back. The duo sat and read, discussing their books as well for at least an hour until the dorm room door opened.

Feliciano looked up at the duo and smiled. "Hey, guys! What are you doing here? Last I saw you was breakfast."

"Feli that was two hours ago." Kiku replied, setting his book down.

"I know." He walked to his side of the room. "Have you two been in here reading that whole time?"

"No. We went and looked through the school garden first. We've only been in here for an hour." Arthur replied.

"Lovino, Antonio and I want to have an air hockey tournament in the common area but I don't have anyone to play with so we can't." Feliciano sighed, laying down on his bed.

"I'm sure Alfred will play with you. He loves that game." Arthur replied.

Feliciano sat up quickly, his smile plastered on his face once more. "Really!"

Arthur nodded. "He should be back in our room. At least, he was there an hour ago but I can't imagine why he'd leave."

"Will you guys come and watch us play?" Feliciano tilted his head to the side.

The duo looked at each other and smiled. "Sure Feli." Arthur replied.

"Yay!" Feliciano shouted and skipped out the door.


	8. Something Unexpected

Arthur, Feliciano, and Kiku walked to Arthur's room to get Alfred before heading to the common area for the tournament. After Alfred happily agreed, the group was on their way and walked through the door minutes later.

"It's about time you assholes showed up." Lovino growled under his breath, approaching the air hockey table.

"Aw Fratello, don't be like that! I had to know if Alfred would play or not." Feliciano quickly replied as the players approached the table.

The teams consisted of Lovino and Antonio on one team and Feliciano and Alfred on the other. Antonio started up the air on the table as Lovino shot the puck. The game went on for almost two minutes before Alfred scored the first goal, shouting loudly in excitement. Kiku and Arthur, who were watching nearby, clapped at the goal as Lovino dropped the puck and the game went on.

It went back and forth for a while, each goal taking at least two minutes to score. Antonio constantly had to restart the air on the machine so the game could keep going. The winner would be decided by whichever team made it to ten points first. With both teams tied, the next team to score would be the victor. Feliciano dropped the puck and the small saucer went soaring across the board. Kiku was sure he had only seen cars go that fast.

The puck sailed into Feliciano's and Alfred's zone. Alfred smashed his plastic guard into the puck. It sailed across the table faster than it had before and right into Lovino and Antonio's goal, making Alfred and Feliciano the victors! Kiku and Arthur clapped, adding in on how great a game it was to watch as Alfred and Feliciano cheered at winning the game.

Antonio shrugged, a goofy grin on his face as he walked over to congratulate the winners on a great game. Lovino, however, was not in good spirits. He clenched his fists, looking down to the ground and baring his teeth.

"That was a cheap shot." Lovino growled, just loud enough for the group to hear.

They all turned to look at him, confused looks on their faces. "What?" Antonio asked.

Lovino's face shot up, a large scowl over his brow, "I said that was a cheap fucking shot!" He shouted loud enough for anyone in a 40-foot radius to hear him.

"Whoa, Lovino. Calm down. It's just a game amigo!" Antonio smiled, walking back over to his roommate and putting an arm on his shoulder.

Lovino practically threw Antonio's arm off. "It may be just a game Tonio, but that was cheap as shit and you know it!" He shouted again, Antonio recoiling at how loud it was.

"Fratello, calm down," Feliciano started to walk over. "It's just a silly ga-!" His words were cut off as Lovino raised a fist and punched him square in the face, his anger getting the better of him. Lovino dived onto Feliciano, red in his eyes as he raised his fist to punch again.

"Hey!" Alfred had shouted as soon as Feliciano had received the first punch. The group quickly dived in to stop the fight. Arthur and Kiku diving in to protect Feliciano, who already received more blows, and Alfred and Antonio tearing Lovino off of him.

"What the fuck was that Lovino?!" Antonio asked, holding one of Lovino's arms as Alfred held the other.

Lovino was breathing heavily, his senses slowly returning as he watched Arthur and Kiku carefully help a sobbing Feliciano to his feet. The moment he saw his brothers crying, Lovino immediately regretted what he had done.

"F-Feli.." He said, a frown covering his face.

Feliciano let out a sob and took off running, sprinting out the door of the common area.

"Feli wait!" Lovino shouted, trying to get to his brother despite still being held back.

Kiku and Arthur shouted after Feliciano, chasing after him as fast as their legs could carry them. They dashed out of the common area, spotting Feliciano sprint into the dorm building. The duo quickly looked at each other and dashed for the building, immediately heading for Kiku's room.

The minute they reached the door they crept in quietly. Feliciano was lying on his bed, curled up into a ball and under the covers. Quiet sobs could be heard coming from the lump. Kiku frowned, walking over to his bed.

"Feli?" Kiku asked softly, sitting on the bed and gently putting a hand on the small lump.

Feliciano recoiled, whimpering rather loudly. Kiku withdrew his hand and sighed quietly.

"Feliciano come on out. I need to make sure you're okay." Kiku requested softly.

Feliciano whined and gently uncovered his head, tears stung his eyes as he looked up at Kiku. The most prominent feature however was the area around Feliciano's right eyes was swollen and turning an unnatural color.

"Oh, Feli." Kiku frowned. "You're getting a black eye." Kiku quickly turned and looked at Arthur, "I'm going to need something to help his swelling." Arthur nodded and took off out the door.

Kiku returned his attention to Feliciano. Feliciano whimpered and hugged Kiku tightly, burying his face into Kiku's chest.

"Why did he hit me Kiku, why?" Feliciano whimpered.

"I don't know Feliciano, but I'm going to find out. I promise. Now come on. Let's get you cleaned up okay?" Kiku smiled slightly, hoping to encourage Feliciano.

Feliciano nodded as Kiku helped him out of bed and into the bathroom.

The duo slowly walked to the bathroom. Feliciano sat down on the toilet as Kiku pulled out the small first-aid kit out of the cupboard. Every room had a first-aid kit in it, in case of emergencies, so Kiku was unsure if he would find anything useful in it for this situation. Kiku searched the first-aid kit quickly, not finding anything useful, he walked back over to Feliciano and examined his eye.

"It will swell, but I've seen worse cases. It will hurt for a little while but you're going to be okay." Kiku smiled softly, trying to give Feliciano some reassurance.

The Italian boy sniffed, "I've never seen him that mad before. Only when grandpa would punish him when we were little. I never thought he would actually hit me..." His voice trailed off as he wiped the tears from his good eye.

Arthur walked in with an ice pack, "This is all they would give me without them needing to know why I wanted it." He stated, handing the item to Kiku.

"That's fine." Kiku replied, taking the ice pack. "Here Feli, you need to hold this against your eye until the swelling goes down a little okay?"

Feliciano nodded, doing as he was told. Arthur bent down to talk to Kiku.

"How is he?" Arthur asked, concern flooding his voice.

"He's a bit shaken up but he should be fine within the next couple of days." Kiku replied, keeping his eyes on Feliciano.

"Lovino is outside, I told him to stay there until you came out." Arthur informed, hoping Kiku would be able to do something.

The Japanese man sighed, "Watch Feliciano, I'll be back." He added, standing up and heading for the door.

He was interested to hear how Lovino would explain himself.


	9. Easier to Smile

Taking a deep breath, Kiku walked out of the bathroom into the dorm. Alfred and Antonio were standing on either side of Lovino, who simply stood with a face full of guilt and regret.

"Have a seat." Kiku offered, having them all sit down on Feliciano's bed. Kiku pulled out the nearby chair to Feliciano's desk and sat down.

"H-How is he?" Lovino asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"He has a black eye and other bruises, but he'll be fine. He's a bit shaken up at the moment so I wouldn't suggest pushing him past his emotional limit." Kiku added, a slight scowl falling over his face.

Lovino frowned. "I didn't mean to hit him. My anger got the best of me and I lost control." He covered his mouth with a single hand, his eyes beginning to tear up. "I wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to talk to me anymore."

Kiku rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Lovino," The Italian raised his head. "You and I know better than anyone that Feliciano can't hold a grudge against anyone to save his life. Ludwig could probably put him in a three-month coma and Feli would still forgive him, so calm down. Give him some time to calm down and open back up. You know how long he takes to regain himself after something traumatic."

Lovino nodded slowly, "Y-You're right." He added, taking a deep breath. "Can I go in and see him at least? So I can apologize for this whole mess?"

Kiku stood up, "I wouldn't but I'll ask if he wants to see you, and if not I'll tell him for you for now and you'll have to settle with that until he gets back on his feet."

Lovino nodded as Kiku walked back into the bathroom. Inside, Arthur was talking to Feliciano, trying to help him calm down and get him to smile again. Feliciano looked up when Kiku entered the room.

"Hey Feli," Kiku greeted, crouching down beside Arthur. "Your brother wants to know if he can come in and say he's sorry personally, if not I'll do it for him. Do you want to see Lovino?" Kiku clarified.

Feliciano seemed to be thinking for a moment before he shook his head. Arthur looked between Kiku and Feliciano as the former nodded.

"Alright, I'll tell him." Kiku stood up and left the room.

Lovino's head shot up upon seeing Kiku come back out, though what little joy he had faded away when he saw Kiku's face. "He said no, didn't he?"

Kiku simply nodded, watching Lovino collapse once more onto Feliciano's bed. "This is all my fault." The older Italian cried. "If I hadn't let my stupid anger get the better of me, he would still have that stupid smile on his face and would be running around shouting and trying to help people." He complained, covering his eyes with an arm.

Antonio smiled slightly. "That's why you're working on anger management remember? So things like this don't happen anymore. You just didn't do your exercises. We'll work on them. Spend more time doing them."

Lovino sighed. "Do you really think that will work?" He asked sincerely, raising an eyebrow.

"If it wasn't going to work, then they wouldn't have you doing them now would they?" Antonio smirked. "Come on. Let's get out of here so Feli doesn't have to stay in the bathroom forever."

Lovino nodded and the duo left. Alfred walked over to Kiku, "I'm heading out too. Tell Arthur I'll be in the dorm all night." Kiku nodded and Alfred left as well.

Kiku closed the door behind him before heading back into the bathroom. Arthur and Feliciano both were giggling quietly and talking. The sight brought a warm feeling to Kiku as he walked over.

"Hey Feli, everyone else is gone. Do you want to go lay down?" Kiku asked, a small smile on his face.

Feliciano smiled the way he normally did, "It's too early to lay down, plus I'm hungry! Can we go get something to eat?" He asked, tilting his head as usual.

Kiku chuckled, "Alright, but try to keep that ice pack against your eye so it doesn't swell up again okay?"

Feliciano nodded, smiling brightly as the three of them walked out of the dorm and straight to the dining hall. The group got some strange looks as they walked by, but no one asked anything. They climbed the stairs and grabbed their trays and, after a bit of juggling, had their meals and were seated at the normal table.

Antonio walked over at one point to update Kiku on how Lovino was handling the situation. "He's sitting with me and some of my buddies. Francis and Gilbert are keeping an eye on him while I came over to chat. How are you holding up Feli?" He asked, his goofy grin on his face.

Feliciano gave his hand a little shake to show that he was doing decently for the moment, but smiled nonetheless.

Antonio nodded and turned to Kiku. "News about the fight is traveling fast according to Gilbert so keep your guard up."

Kiku nodded. Antonio smiled again and waved, leaving them to finish their meal. It was only mere minutes before Ludwig arrived at their table. He asked to sit before walking over to examine Feliciano and make sure he was alright. Kiku updated the taller boy on what happened and how Feliciano was handling it.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to play with you instead Feliciano." Ludwig frowned. "Then your eye wouldn't hurt."

Feliciano only giggled, "That's okay! Kiku says I'll be fine so there's nothing to worry about!"

Ludwig smiled softly and sat down beside Kiku. After Arthur and Ludwig introduced themselves, things carried on normally. When they were all finished, they cleaned up their table and headed to Ludwig's room. His roommate was nowhere to be found so they all sat down to talk and joke around and, soon enough, Feliciano was laughing and smiling as if nothing had gone wrong.

Arthur came over and sat beside Kiku, "Good to see the smile back on his face isn't it?"

Kiku nodded, "Very much so. A frown just doesn't suit him."

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. "You're right about that. Though I have to say, a frown doesn't really suit you either." He added, a smirk on his face.

Kiku flushed, turning to look at Arthur, that was something he had definitely _not_ expected to hear. "Wh-What makes you say that?"

Arthur's smirk turned into a smile, "I'm saying you need to learn how to smile more. A frown just doesn't suit you the way a smile does."

Kiku wasn't sure what it meant, but he was certain about one thing.

He always found it a lot easier to smile whenever he was with Arthur.


	10. Making Amends

All the students got up to get ready for school the way they normally did on their own schedules. Feliciano and Kiku woke up at their usual time, taking their time to get ready. Feliciano's ice pack had melted over-night so they were going to have to take it back to the nurse's office before their classes started. Once they were dressed and had their bags, they stopped at the nurse's office and returned the ice pack, having Kiku do it so Feliciano wouldn't have to explain what happened to his eye.

As soon as the item was returned, they hurried to the dining area. They quickly got their trays and a meal before heading to their table to eat. Arthur was nowhere to be found but Alfred walked up minutes later.

"You guys don't mind if I sit here do you?" Alfred asked.

The duo shook his head and asked what he was doing up so early.

"Football tryouts are later today after classes and I couldn't really sleep, so I snuck out the dorm before Arthur woke up. He should be up now, though." Alfred replied.

They nodded again as they continued their meal. The trio talked about themselves to try and get to know each other better, since they had been hanging out and didn't really know each other all that well. It was odd, Kiku thought, almost a week ago he had been sitting alone every day at meals and not talking to anyone, let alone having no other friends besides Feliciano. Now he had a whole group of friends! And though he wasn't sure he would admit it, he was sure he liked Arthur as more than a friend somehow.

Feliciano pulled him out of his trance. Alfred was nowhere to be found, and since they had both finished their meals, they cleaned off their table and headed out of the building. Kiku walked Feliciano to his first classroom as always and, after asking if he was going to be alright, Feliciano smiled and shooed him away. Kiku smiled softly and left to go to his own classroom.

Classes started and seemed to drone on for everyone. When Kiku and Arthur met up in science class, they took notes when necessary and worked on Kiku's English quietly so no one would hear them. They each had an elective course afterwards so while Arthur headed off to a writing class, Kiku went up to meet up with Feliciano in art. The duo sat together and worked. They were just free-drawing today so they could draw whatever they wanted.

Feliciano always sketched little comics when they got to free draw, Kiku loved seeing what comics he came up with. Today seemed different, however. Feliciano was still drawing comics, but instead of them being goofy little cartoons he normally drew, or even ones of himself and Kiku, these were comics about Feliciano and his brother.

Kiku wondered if the events happening in the comics were true or not. There were already a few different ones. One of them displayed the two brothers having what appeared to be a snowball fight of some kind. Another displayed the duo cooking together and purposely throwing food all over the kitchen, laughing their heads off. Kiku smiled slightly. It was nice to see the two brothers laughing and goofing off, even if it was in a drawing. Despite them spending some time together here at the school, Kiku never expected them to be incredibly close, knowing the way Lovino acted with all of his screaming.

Kiku decided to ask if the comics were memories of real life events. Feliciano smiled and nodded. Pointing to the one of the snowball fight.

"We went on a sort of vacation one winter and ended up having a snowball fight in the middle of a park. Lovino had leant up against a tree and a bunch of snow fell on him. I couldn't stop laughing." He smiled. "He got so mad and started throwing the snow at me. Before either of us knew it, we were running around screaming and laughing pelting handfuls of snow at each other."

Kiku smiled and pointed to the one with the thrown food, "What about this one?"

Feliciano giggled, "We had been apart for a while and decided to cook together. He wanted pizza and I wanted pasta so it was going to work out. I accidentally dumped some sauce on him and I really thought he was going to yell at me. But he didn't. He just smirked and threw flour right in my face!" Feliciano giggled. "We looked so silly! Anyone who heard us probably thought we were crazy or something!"

Kiku smiled. "Sounds like you two had a lot of fun goofing around."

Feliciano smiled, looking back down at the drawings. "We get along really well when it's just the two of us sometimes. Other times it's hard to tell if he even still likes me."

"I'm sure he loves you Feliciano, you're his brother." Kiku replied, trying to keep Feliciano in high spirits. "We can go talk to him after class if you would like to."

"But don't you and Arthur have an English lesson?" He asked, a frown crossing his face.

Kiku shook his head. "Science class was rather boring so we did it then. We can meet up with Alfred and Arthur after classes. Arthur said they would both most likely be there."

Feliciano smiled again, "Thank you."

Kiku smiled. "We have your back Feli."

Once the classes had ended, the duo went back to their dorm room to change quickly before heading to Arthur's dorm. After explaining the situation, they went straight to Lovino's room. Kiku knocked on the door, but they were all surprised when Antonio answered.

"I had him take a hot shower because he was so stressed, he should be out any minute." Antonio informed them.

They all nodded and Antonio invited them in. They all talked quietly until Lovnio walked out. The Italian froze in shock upon seeing his brother in his room, especially with so much back-up.

"Ciao Lovi." Feliciano smiled and waved.

Lovino returned his wave and smiled ever so slightly. "Feli look, I-I'm sorry about punching you in the face. I let my anger get the better of me and it was incredibly stupid! I-!" Feliciano raised his hand, cutting Lovino off in his words.

"I already forgive you." Feliciano smiled softly, putting his hand down.

"Why?" Lovino asked, guilt and worry in his voice.

"You know I can't stay mad at anyone for too long. Besides, you're my brother. Sure, you can be really loud and mean a lot of the time, but that doesn't mean we aren't brothers. We've stuck with each other this far somehow. I'm not going to throw that away just because you got a little pissy and threw a fit." Feliciano giggled.

Lovino flushed. He was certain he didn't deserve a brother as nice as Feliciano, but he had him and that was all that mattered. The brothers hugged and everyone clapped in congratulations for making up.

"Yay! Everyone is happy again! Can we go eat now?" Alfred asked quickly.

"Honestly, do only think with your stomach and not your brain?" Arthur asked, making everyone laugh. They all got up together and left the dorm building.

What Arthur and Kiku didn't notice, however, was that they were walking hand-in-hand.

* * *

 ** _Things are going to start heating up and going now! I feel like I've taken way to long to get the ball rolling, sorry about that!_**


	11. Unexpected Confessions

The group sat and ate together, and as usual, they all left, leaving Kiku and Arthur alone. The two finished their meal and cleaned off the table before deciding to take a walk through the garden again. They both enjoyed spending time in the garden. It gave them a chance to get outside and gain some fresh air, but the garden was always empty. Everyone already had better things to do than sit around and look at plants Kiku assumed.

The duo chose one of the benches nearby and sat down to take a break. They talked for a while, helping Kiku a little more with his English and discussing the events over the past day.

"I'm glad Feliciano and his brother made up. Now things can go back to normal, minus Feli's black eye that is." Arthur smiled, putting his hands behind his head.

"I knew it would all work out. Lovino means well, he just lets his anger get the best of him far too often." Kiku replied, looking up as well.

"Ah, well, things happen sometimes. It's good to see Feliciano back to his old self." Arthur smirked a little. "It's also good to see you smiling again too. You got so serious after the fight."

Kiku felt his face get warm. "W-well, Feliciano gets upset easily, I wanted to help him. He was my only friend for so long." Kiku frowned slightly, "Come to think of it, he was my only friend until you rolled around. I don't know why I said yes at the time to your lesson idea, but now I'm really glad that I did."

Arthur smiled, "I'm glad you did too. You've opened up so much. I'm proud of you."

Kiku smiled, "Look at yourself. You've made a lot of new friends since getting to know me and Feliciano."

Arthur scooted a little closer, hoping Kiku hadn't noticed. "It's great getting to spend with you and it's really great getting to know you."

Kiku could swear he had seen Arthur blush. "It's really great getting to know you as well. I've never really had friends besides Feliciano, so it's nice actually having more than one person to eat with. Even if they do leave us a mess to clean up."

Arthur nodded, gently taking Kiku's hand without realizing it. Kiku on the other hand, did notice and started blushing rather brightly. "Um Arthur?"

"Yeah?" He asked curiously, tilting his head.

Kiku gulped. He had to admit, Arthur looked rather cute like that. Kiku felt his face heat up, blushing a bright shade of pink.

"Kiku? Are you feeling alright?" Arthur asked, hoping he would answer this time.

Kiku swallowed once more. "You, you're holding my hand..." Kiku answered, looking down at their hands.

Arthur's face quickly went bright red, moving his hand away. "Oh my goodness! I-I'm so sorry I didn't know what came over me!"

Kiku quickly shook his head, "No! No! It's alright." Kiku smiled a bit, "It was nice, really nice."

Arthur recoiled slightly, "Really? I thought you would yell at me or hate me."

"What?" Kiku asked for clarification, Arthur simply laughed.

"You really have no idea why I asked you if you wanted help with your English, do you?" Arthur asked, still laughing.

"Um, no?" Kiku answered in the form of a question, rather confused about his friends behavior.

Arthur took a deep breath, it was now or never. "I've had a small crush on you. For a while actually. I could never get the confidence to tell you though."

Kiku blinked for a moment. Arthur liked him, no Arthur _loved_ him! And Kiku returned his feelings! But how would Feliciano and Alfred react? How would the rest of the school react? Kiku took a deep breath so he could give his friend an answer.

"That is a relief. I have developed a bit of a crush on you as well since having started the lessons." He couldn't help but smile. Arthur always made it so much easier to smile.

Arthur's face lit up, he wasn't sure his smile could get any wider. He hugged Kiku a bit tightly. Kiku waited a moment before returning the hug gladly. Kiku inhaled slowly, taking in Arthur's scent. He smelt like tea and old books. It was nice. They remained like that for a few minutes before breaking the embrace. They smiled at each other before standing up and finishing their walk, hand-in-hand.

As they finished the walk through the plants and foliage, not realizing how long they had actually been there. There were no afternoon classes today so they had been there for over two hours sitting together.

* * *

They walked back to the dorm building and up to Kiku's door. They smiled at each other and agreed to meet each other for supper in a while and Arthur gently kissed Kiku's cheek before waving good-bye and heading back to his own dorm. Kiku gently touched his cheek where Arthur had kissed him, a smile and blush creeping onto his face. The smile stayed on his face as he walked into his own dorm room. Feliciano and Lovino were already inside. The Italian duo looked up at him as he entered the room.

"Ciao, Kiku!" Feliciano smiled. "How was your walk with Arthur?"

Kiku smiled wide, collapsing onto his bed. "It was nice. We're meeting up for supper again if you would like to join us if you would like."

Feliciano clapped happily. "That sounds like fun! Come on Lovino! You and Antonio can come too!"

Lovino nodded. "I'm sure the fucking tomato lover will just love that."

Kiku nodded, "We're going shortly. Do we need to go get Antonio?" He asked, sitting up.

Lovino shook his head. "I asked him to come over to make sure Feliciano's eye was okay since we weren't sure when you were coming back."

Kiku nodded. "Alright. We can leave after he checks Feliciano's eye."

The brothers nodded and only minutes later Antonio walked into the room. He quickly checked Feliciano's eye and then they were all heading to the dining hall. They met up with Arthur and Alfred and headed upstairs together. They all got the meals they wanted and headed for their table. They talked and laughed as normal. After they finished eating they decided to just spend time in the common area together.

They talked and played games together. Kiku and Arthur mainly just sat together and talking to the others, holding each others hand happily.


	12. Time Together

Classes continued as usual the following day. Arthur and Kiku had both agreed that they would tell their roommates, at the very least, of their new-found romance. After classes they quickly went to their dorms to change before meeting in Kiku's room, deciding it would be easier to tell Feliciano first.

When Feliciano finally walked through the door he was surprised at how both Arthur and Kiku were there.

"Ciao! What are you two up to?" He asked, walking across the room and tilting his head.

"We actually wanted to talk to you about something rather important." Kiku responded.

Feliciano frowned slightly, sitting down on his bed. "What is it? Am I in trouble?"

Kiku smiled slightly and shook his head. "No Feliciano, you're not in trouble. Arthur and I just want to tell you something and see if you're okay with it or not."

Feliciano sighed, his smile returning to his face. "Well then come on! What is it?" He asked rather excitedly.

Kiku froze in that moment and Arthur saw it so he answered for the both of them. "Feli, Kiku and I are in love, and we've started dating."

Feliciano gasped, a wide smile plastered on his face. He quickly hopped off the bed, clapping happily. "Oh mio Dio this is amazing! When did this happen?"

The couple couldn't help but giggle at Feliciano's antics. "Yesterday, when we went to the garden."

Feliciano continued clapping and dancing around, happy that his friends had told him how they felt about each other and that they were happy.

"We have to go tell Alfred now, you can come with us if you can calm down long enough for us to actually tell him." Arthur smiled.

Feliciano nodded and they all walked over together. Arthur opened the door and Alfred was already inside and changed. They walked inside and gave Alfred the same speech they had given Feliciano and he was just as okay with it, if not more so!

"That's great to hear guys! Glad you got that sorted away!" He laughed rather obnoxiously.

"I think we should go tell one more set of people." Arthur suggested.

Kiku nodded in reply, knowing who he was referring to. The group walked to Lovino and Antonio's room. Feliciano knocked on the door and once Lovino had let them inside the couple sat everyone down to give their speech one more time. Lovino and Antonio had been just as okay with it as everyone else had been. The group was proud of the duo for being able to tell them all this and stayed there chatting a while, Kiku carefully curled up against Arthur's side.

Feliciano smiled at the couple as the group talked. He was incredibly proud of how far Kiku had come over the past week. Kiku had always sat at that table either by himself or with Feliciano and Lovnio only. Usually, it was by himself. But now he had a whole group of friends to sit with him at every meal, and he even found someone who loved him very much. Feliciano was glad that they had ended up together after all. He had been hoping they would have after their night at the movie theater.

Feliciano was pulled out of his trance as they all got up to leave, heading for the common area. They played and chatted for a while until the dinner bell rang, announcing the begininng of meal time. They all travelevd up together and sat together as usual. And as usual, everyone had left as soon as they finished and left Kiku and Arthur to clean up the mess.

The couple hurriedly cleaned up the mess and went to walk through the garden once again. It was where they felt the most at peace. They sat on one of the benches snuggled up together, occasionlly exchanging small kisses with each other and admiring the scenery around them. They couldn't be more content.

As the sun began to go down they simply stayed where they were, huddling against each other in case it started to get cold. The sunset warmed their faces as it slowly dipped behind the faraway hills that surrounded the school. They sat for a few moments longer together before deciding to get up and return to the dorm building before they got caught or got too cold, or both.

Kiku looked up at Arthur slowly, "Can I ask you something?"

Arthur smiled, "Of course love. What is it?" Arthur asked, tilting his head in the adorable way Kiku couldn't resist.

"Of everyone in the entire school, what made you fall for me?" Kiku asked quietly.

Arthur smiled. "That's an easy one. Despite you being one of the most closed up and shyest people in the school, you were one of the most caring and selfless. You always stood up for Feliciano whenever someone would bully him and care for him afterwards. I always wondered why, but then it clicked."

Kiku looked up at him curiously. "Clicked?"

Arthur nodded, "You always acted like that around Feliciano, not just because he was your only friend, but because he was the first person who would do something like that for you. You knew that, but you weren't sure if anyone else would do the same, so you stayed rather closed up about yourself."

Kiku couldn't help the blush the spread across his cheeks, Arthur was right. He had shut himself off to the world in fear of being treated differently for one reason or another.

"But you helped me get out of that shell. So thank you." He smiled, leaning up a bit to give Arthur a kiss.

They stayed there a while longer before continuing their walk back. Upon arriving back at their own rooms, they changed and crawled into their respective beds. They both smiled to themselves, happily thinking of the other as they dirfted off to sleep.

It's amazing what can happen when you teach someone How To Open Up.

* * *

 ** _The end! Whoo! I did it! Thanks to everyone who read this!_**


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